Winning Her Heart
by ShadowStorm135
Summary: TrunksXOC, When Trunks meets the princess of Planet Azeria, he feels as though he had been waiting for her his whole life. Zaiya feels Trunks is special, but she is unsure if she should give in to this feeling or ignore the love she feels growing. Will he be able to win her heart? Rated T to be safe.
1. Meeting the New Royal Family

Winning Her Heart

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Dragon Ball Z characters. The only characters I own in this story are Zaiya, Tonak, and Zaraiya.

Chapter 1: Meeting the New Royal Family

"Trunks! Time to get up and ready for the conference." Vegeta yelled through his son's door.

"Ugh…alright dad, I'm awake." Trunks replied back as he began to get dressed. 'I don't even want to go to this thing' he thought to himself.

As he walked to the throne room he saw his mother, Queen Bulma, in a knee length red dress, her teal hair was let down, and she had red heels and lipstick on to match her dress. His father, King Vegeta, was also there, he was wearing dark jeans with an orange shirt and a leather jacket, along with boots. Trunks was dressed in dark gray jeans and he had a black shirt on with his orange and black jacket over, along with boots. For a conference with all the other royal families and planet rulers, they were dressed quite casually.

"Why do I have to go to this conference? They're always so boring and I never have anyone to talk to." Trunks complained.

"Because you are a part of this family and must represent this planet as well. Besides, I hear your friend Goten is going to be there along with the other people of Earth."

"Exactly, so all of our friends will be there and I hear there is a special announcement and everyone needs to be there." Bulma chimed in.

"Maybe it won't be so bad after all then." Trunks said as they made their way to planet Averia.

*On the ship*

"So who rules Planet Averia, dad?" Trunks asked.

"I've been pretty curious as well Vegeta, we've never been to this planet before." Bulma said, obviously curious.

"I actually don't know. It must be what that announcement is. I barely recall hearing about this planet before." Vegeta said. 'Yet I can't shake the feeling that I should remember it.' He thought to himself.

*At Planet Averia*

They made it to Averia in about 3 hours. They spotted their Earth friends as soon as they entered the great hall.

"Chi-Chi! It's so good to see you!" Bulma exclaimed as she hugged her best friend.

"You too! It's been too long!" Chi-Chi said back.

"Hiya, Vegeta!" Goku said happily.

"Hello, Kakarot. As goofy as ever I see." Vegeta said shaking the other saiyans hand, to which he just laughed a bit.

"Yo, Goten! What's up?" Trunks said, fist bumping his best friend.

"Not much, just waiting for that announcement like everyone else." Goten replied.

"Ah yes, about that, have you heard anything Kakarot? I am unaware of the rulers here." Vegeta asked.

"Well so far, all we know is that the king here is called Tonak and the queen is named Zaraiya." A look of shock crossed Vegeta's face at the mention of those names.

"Z-Zaraiya?" He stuttered out.

"Yea, do you know who she is Vegeta?" Goku asked as everyone else looked at him.

As they awaited an answer, Gohan and Krillin came over with their families to greet them.

"Hi there everybody! Long time no see!" Krillin said before looking at their serious faces. "What's going on?"

"Vegeta knows the queen of this planet, or so it seems." Bulma informed them.

"So who is Zaraiya?" Goku asked.

"She…she's a saiyan and so is Tonak. They were both banished from Planet Vegeta by my father. I never understood why they banished Zaraiya though." He said looking down.

"Why was she banished?" Trunks asked.

"There was a belief that she wasn't a pureblood saiyan because of her hair and eye color. She wasn't banished until we were 7, before Frieza came. She was my best friend and my future mate." He shut his eyes as though the memory hurt him.

"Wow…." Was all most of them could say.

"She meant a lot to you didn't she honey?" Bulma asked.

"Yes she did, but my heart belongs to you now my queen." Vegeta said reassuring her.

"I know it does, but tell me one thing, who was prettier?"

"Bulma, I love you, but nothing and no one could ever compare to Zaraiya's beauty." Vegeta said confidently.

"Well, I'd definitely like to see her then." Bulma said with a challenging smirk.

As if on cue, a guard began blowing a trumpet to get everyone's attention.

"Announcing the arrival of the rulers of Planet Averia! King Tonak and Queen Zaraiya!" He announced.

As he said it, a man about Goku's height appeared. He was muscular and seemed very noble. He had black hair as all saiyans do, but his eyes were a dull gray color. He wore black dress pants with a white shirt and a purple jacket over the shirt. Next to him appeared a gorgeous woman in a flowing violet dress. Her eyes were the same shade of violet and her chestnut brown hair reached just above her butt. She was as beautiful as Vegeta said she was, every man couldn't help but take a glance at her. She then whispered something to the announcer to which he nodded.

"And finally, announcing the beautiful Princess Z-" He stopped short as he gazed at a younger woman who came down the stairs.

Everyone began to stare at her; she was even more radiant than the queen. She had wavy chestnut brown hair that reached the small of her back, shining silver eyes, and a nicely curved body. She wore a simple yet elegant white dress with small white sandal wedges. Her hair had a few braids in it while she had a white floral crown on her head. Everyone was speechless. She looked at the announcer and said her name to snap him out of his reverie.

"P-Princess Zaiya!" He announced.

She glanced around the room before looking down. As her mother looked around, her eyes fell on Vegeta.

"Vegeta?" Zaraiya whispered to herself. "Come." She said to her family as they headed over to Vegeta and the others.

"Vegeta? Is that you?" She asked tentatively.

"Hello, Zaraiya. It's been a while." He said looking at her.

"Too long of a while if you ask me. It's so good to see you." She said as she hugged him.

"So you're the Vegeta I heard about. My name is Tonak, I am Zaraiya's husband." He said almost challenging Vegeta.

"And I'm his wife Bulma." Bulma introduced herself.

"Oh, Vegeta I'm so happy for you. I'm glad you found such a beautiful and intelligent woman to be your mate." Zaraiya said shaking Bulma's hand. Bulma smiled at the compliment.

"And this is our son, Trunks." Bulma said bringing Trunks to stand by her.

"What a strong, handsome boy." Zaraiya said causing Trunks to blush and Goten to snicker. "What do you think Zaiya?" Zaraiya turned to ask her daughter, but found her daughter nowhere in sight. "Huh? Zaiya?" She looked around a bit before finding her. "Excuse me a moment." She said as she walked over to her daughter.

"Zaiya, what are you doing hiding over here?"

"I don't feel comfortable in the open, mom. Everyone is staring at me and not in a good way. Can't I just go home?" Zaiya said with pleading eyes.

"No, you cannot. Zaiya, just ignore them. They stare at you because you are beautiful. Now come, there are some people I want you to meet." Zaraiya said half dragging her daughter with her.

"This is our daughter Zaiya." Tonak said as they approached. "Zaiya, this is Vegeta, Bulma, and their son Trunks."

"Hello, it's very nice to meet you." Zaiya said in a solemn tone.

"Zaiya…." Zaraiya said giving her daughter a look. "Isn't Trunks handsome? Why don't you hang out with him for a bit?" she suggested causing Trunks to blush again.

"Mother…please don't do this to me." Zaiya whispered to her mom.

"Hey there hot stuff, how about you and I split this palace?" A random guy said coming behind Zaiya and whispering in her ear. Zaiya definitely got scared, but quickly gained her composure. Tonak was about to destroy the kid though.

A ball of energy formed in Zaiya's hand as she raised it to be in front of the teen's face. "If you do not step away from me and stay away from me for the rest of the night, this energy ball will replace your head." She said with an icy calmness.

The guy retreated scared out of his mind. "Like mother like daughter, huh?" Vegeta said.

"Yea." Zaraiya replied.

"Mom, I'm going to walk around for a bit, okay?" Zaiya asked.

"Yes, as long as you aren't afraid of any staring eyes." Zaraiya teased earning a quick glare from her daughter.

"I can always just blast any creepers." Zaiya said as she walked away.

"I apologize or her behavior. She's not normally like this. She's usually more welcoming and sweet. She just didn't really want to be here today." Zaraiya said.

"That and the fact that you forced her into a dress." Tonak chuckled.

"This is a semi-formal event. It's not like it's a ball-gown." Zaraiya retorted.

"I'm going to go get something to drink." Trunks said excusing himself as the adults started heading towards the others to talk. He snuck out to the balcony where he saw Zaiya going when she left. Sure enough, she was there gazing out at the stars. "Hey." Trunks said grabbing her attention.

"Hi…Trunks, right?" She asked to which he nodded. "Come to try to win me over?" she said bored.

"No, just trying to escape the parents." He stated earning him a light laugh from her. "It's a beautiful night isn't it?" He said gazing up at the night sky.

"Yes, all the stars are out tonight. This whole place is beautiful, it always has been." Zaiya stated in a light voice.

"We don't get a lot of stars on my planet. It's not nearly as beautiful as this planet is, though it still has its own beauty."

"What planet do you come from anyway?"

"New Vegeta. I don't really like the name of it too much, too egotistical." He laughed lightly.

"Just a bit." She giggled. "Would you prefer to live on a planet as beautiful as this one?"

"Yes, this is truly the most beautiful planet I've ever seen. Though the planet's beauty is nothing compared to yours." Trunks said slyly.

"And the flirting begins." Zaiya said in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I wasn't flirting; I was just making a statement." Trunks smirked as he began to walk towards her. "If I was flirting, I would have said that your beauty is like that of the moon, outshining every other star with its silvery glow, like that of a moon goddess or even an angel." He finished now right in front of her, gazing into her eyes. She was blushing and had a shocked look on her face.

"Well…I can't say it wouldn't work on me…." She said looking away. Trunks smiled causing her to smile when she looked at him.

"Smiling definitely fits you better."

"Was that your goal?" Zaiya asked.

"Kind of, I wanted to talk to you a bit honestly. Making you smile was an added bonus." He smiled again, a sweet, warm smile.

"Thank you, Trunks." Zaiya smiled back at him sweetly. "Do you want to head back inside?"

"Yea, let's see what our parents are up to."

And with that they went back into the big hall, still talking as they headed for the group of parents and other teens.

End of Chapter. Thanks for reading. What do you guys think so far? Reviews are welcomed, especially if you have ideas for this story since this is as far as I've gotten so far. I'll post the next chapter as soon as I can.


	2. The Attack

Winning Her Heart

Chapter 2: The Attack

Trunks and Zaiya saw their parents speaking with Goku and the others as they headed to their location. Zaraiya smiled as she turned and saw the two of them laughing and talking with each other. It seemed her daughter had taken quite a liking to Vegeta's son. 'The irony of that.' She laughed to herself at the thought.

"Well, look who's smiling again." Zaraiya said as Zaiya and Trunks approached. "And I suppose it's all thanks to Trunks here, huh?"

Zaiya turned a shade of red at this comment. "M-Maybe…so what, he's not that bad." She started, being a bit defensive. "He's actually really nice and sweet." She finished smiling at him and the tinge of red on his cheeks.

"Whoa, Trunks, going after the newest princess? You're going to have a lot of enemies. You sure you're in her league?" Goten joked while elbowing Trunks playfully in his side.

"Well I'm better than you. And most of the others in here, so I'd say I have a pretty good chance of winning." Trunks said confidently.

"Is that your ego or your father's talking?" Bulma laughed.

"Yea, Trunks. And I am so better than you." Goten said. Trunks just rolled his eyes.

"So am I a prize now Trunks?" Zaiya suddenly said with sadness in her eyes, but also a daring look.

"W-What? N-No, of course not. I would never treat you as just a prize!" Trunks stammered out. Goten snickered next to him.

"Personally, I don't see what's so funny. And what exactly did you mean by "winning" then?" She said going closer to Trunks.

"A good chance of winning your…." He began blushing like mad and trying to look away.

"My…?" Zaiya said finding his eyes and gazing into them with her moonlit orbs.

"Your heart…." Trunks said in an almost whisper causing Zaiya's eyes to widen.

"Smart answer." She said smiling uncontrollably.

"AWWWW, how sweet!" Goten mocked. The adults were just watching the seen unfold and laughing amongst themselves.

"It is sweet. And he is right; he has a better chance than anyone in this room or on this planet for that matter. After all, he made me smile." Zaiya smiled again and got Goten to stop his mocking with that statement.

Trunks was still blushing and was, in one word, speechless. He still managed to smile a bit though. 'At least there haven't been any embarrassing stories from mom.' Trunks thought to himself. He thought too soon.

"You know, when Trunks was a kid, he would always act so confident and cocky when he was around a girl he liked, but once they did something sweet he became a blushing sweetheart." Bulma said as some of the others started to laugh.

"Aww, how cute that is." Zaraiya said as she giggled a bit.

"And he would always protect the girl and everything, but he was still a little trouble maker." Bulma continued.

"Moooom!" Trunks whined. Everybody laughed at his whining.

"Um, your royal highnesses, it is time for your speech." An usher came over to inform Tonak and Zaraiya.

"Ah, yes, of course. Zaiya come." Zaraiya said while she and her husband went over to the middle of the room.

"Excuse us for a moment." Zaiya said before following her parents and being eyed by males the whole way there (mind you not all of them are human).

A horn was blown to signal for silence and grab everyone's attention.

"Good evening everyone! We want to thank you for coming tonight despite the shroud of mystery we put up. First off, we would like to introduce ourselves again, I am King Tonak, and this is my wife and the queen of this planet, Queen Zaraiya, and our daughter, Princess Zaiya. We are all Saiyans, but my wife and daughter are also part Sorarian, like many of the natives here. This basically means that they are able to use forms of magic and sorcery." Tonak finished.

"The planet of Averia is beautiful and we hope that you will explore it as much as you like, we also hope that you will accept us into your circle as equals as we see you." Zaraiya stated.

"Please enjoy the party and stay as long as you like. Thank you." Zaiya finished the speech.

There was much applause for the new royal family. They were accepted by the others. They stepped off of the pedestal and returned to their friends, Zaiya going straight to Trunks.

"So, what did you think of the speech?" Zaiya asked.

"Simple, yet effective." Trunks replied.

"Seems like it. This conference wasn't so bad after all, I'm glad I was forced to come." Zaiya said smiling as she looked around the room.

"Yea, me too." Trunks replied with a light chuckle.

At that moment a guard burst through the great doors in a panic grabbing the attention of all. Zaraiya stepped forward.

"Your highnesses, the castle is under…." The guard was unable to finish his sentence as a ball of fire crashed through the ceiling on the far side of the room. Many fell to the floor and others started to scream.

"Everyone! Please calm down! We must evacuate the-ah!" Zaraiya screamed as another ball crashed through the roof sending debris to the floor by her and the others.

Tonak instantly enveloped Zaraiya in his arms as he protected her while Goku and Vegeta did the same to their queens.

"Mom! Dad!" Zaiya yelled, not realizing the debris falling towards her.

"ZAIYA!" Trunks yelled as he pulled her close to him and shielded her from the flying pieces.

"Trunks! What's going on?" She said in a scared tone.

"I think your castle is under attack, this can't be a meteor shower!" He yelled over the cries of the others.

"Everyone, to the doors! Quickly!" Zaraiya and Tonak yelled together as they led everyone to the entry doors that they came through.

It was a flood of people trying to get through. No one was able to keep calm as they pushed and shoved each other to get into the safe area. Once everyone was in, they shut the doors behind them. They could hear the explosions outside and the ground kept shaking. Everyone was confused and upset. What were they going to do?

"What do we do now?!" Some of the attendees yelled and questioned.

They were led down a long hall until they came to a stop in a large room with a large staircase at its end that split into two different directions at the top.

"Everyone! The castle is under attack! We can go into our underground tunnel until this attack is over, we may even be able to escape the planet." Zaraiya yelled over the people as she pulled a lever causing the center staircase to fall into an underground passage.

"No…she can't be serious." Zaiya whispered. Trunks was still holding onto her and the others were close to them. She suddenly flew to the top of the staircase and into one of the rooms.

"Zaiya, where are you going?!" Zaraiya yelled after her.

Everyone stared towards where Zaiya had disappeared. She came out in a completely different outfit. She now had on a pair of white jean shorts with a red top, and she had a short sleeve white sweater over it, with white and red fingerless gloves and low white boots. She was levitating as she tied her hair up in a ponytail, leaving only her bangs out.

"Zaiya…what do you think you're doing?!" Zaraiya said in shock.

"I'm going to fight for my planet! We all have the ability to fight, we are all powerful! We should not be running from invaders! I will not let them take my home! I will fight every last one of them, even if I have to do it alone! The time to fight is now, but fighting with me or hiding in some tunnel is your choice!" She said as she burst through the ceiling and into the fight leaving the group of royals speechless.

End of Chapter 2. What did you guys think? Please review. I'll be working on the third chapter soon. If you have an idea for the story, let me know. I'm open to ideas.


	3. The Fight

Winning Her Heart

"Zaiya…what do you think you're doing?!" Zaraiya said in shock.

"I'm going to fight for my planet! We all have the ability to fight, we are all powerful! We should not be running from invaders! I will not let them take my home! I will fight every last one of them, even if I have to do it alone! The time to fight is now, but fighting with me or hiding in some tunnel is your choice!"

Chapter 3: The Fight

Zaiya charged through the roof to fight the invaders. She was quickly followed by Trunks as well as Vegeta, Goku, Goten, and Gohan. All the others stood staring for a few seconds at the holes in the ceiling.

"She's right! We need to fight for our planet! I am not running like a coward!" Tonak yelled.

"Nor am I! Just give me a few seconds!" Zaraiya said as she quickly changed into fighting gear.

"Everyone, will you help us to defend our home?" Tonak yelled as the other royals raised their hands in unison.

They all charged out to the battlefield in the night sky. There were many ships in the air and it seemed the warriors kept on coming. The fighters charged into battle. Everyone was separated as the fight went on, but it seemed as though they were winning!

Then a beam was shot from the ship, not only vaporizing some of the royals, but the enemy men as well. More beams were shot and more of the allies fell.

"We have to destroy the ships!" Vegeta yelled as he began to shoot Ki-blasts toward the ship.

The others followed suit and some began to charge attacks.

"Finish Buster!" Trunks shouted as he shot his ultimate attack. It managed to blow up one of the ships, but there were so many more. They couldn't keep this up long.

More soldiers were sent out. Many of the royals had no energy left.

"Those who can no longer fight, please, retreat and live to fight another day!" Zaraiya yelled out to her fighting force. Many then retreated to the castle leaving the saiyans to fight.

"I think it's time we upped the power, don't you, Kakarot?" Vegeta said standing next to Goku.

"Definitely!" Goku smirked as he transformed into a super saiyan. Vegeta transforming soon after him.

"I guess it's time to show true saiyan power!" Goten said transforming with his brother.

"Let's go!" Trunks yelled launching an attack after transforming.

"They're incredible." Zaiya said standing near her parents.

"Let's show them how incredible we can be." Tonak said calmly.

Their whole family transformed and charged the enemy. Beams were being shot every which way as the battle continued. There were some close-up brawls as well. Many of the enemies had fallen at this point.

"Okay everyone, one last attack!" Goku yelled.

"Ka-me-ha-me-haaaa!"

"Final Flash!"

"Bro's Kamehamehaaaa!"

"Neptune Breaker!"

"Starlight Rain!"

"Spirit Eraser!"

"Heat dome!"

All of their attacks were sent towards the ships, but the mother ship put out a shield to block it!

"What?!" Vegeta yelled.

"Dammit! What do we do now?" Trunks said flying by his father.

"We break it!" Zaiya yelled. Some of her clothes had been torn and she seemed to be hurt, but her spirit was burning brightly. She charged at the shield, but was stopped short by a giant screen.

"Hahahaha! Look at all the foolish monkeys! You can't seem to beat my army! Perhaps you should've just ran away and let me take your planet!" The commander of the ship was a giant purple alien with four arms.

"Why does he seem familiar…?" Vegeta uttered to no one in particular.

"I don't know, Vegeta, but you're right, he does seem familiar." Goku said seriously.

"Who are you?! And why are you attacking this planet?!" Zaiya yelled to the screen.

"Hm? Well aren't you the pretty one, for an ape anyway. And I am…" The alien began striking weird poses before standing in one final pose. "Captain Ginyu!"

"It can't be…." Goku said astonished.

"How in the world did he get into that body?" Vegeta growled.

"And I am attacking your planet because I want to rid the world of you disgusting apes once and for all to avenge Lord Frieza!" Ginyu continued as he did more contorted poses.

"Seriously…." Vegeta started, "this is getting quite old!"

"We've beaten you once and we can do it again Ginyu!" Goku yelled.

"We will not allow you to take this planet!" Zaraiya yelled.

"Well, there's not much you can do about it, can you? Hahaha!" Ginyu couldn't seem to stop laughing.

"Uggghh! Spirit Eraser!" Zaiya screamed as she destroyed the screen with Ginyu on it and managed to dent his ship. "I have had enough of this foolishness! It is time to end this!" She yelled as her power began to rise. "Everyone cover me!"

"Zaiya, are you sure about using this? Remember last time…."

"Mother, it's the only chance that we have!"

Zaraiya nodded as she defended her daughter from the attacking enemies. Zaiya threw three small balls of energy into the air and held her hands up, feeding energy to the black and red balls above her. The others were going head to head with the elite warriors of Ginyu's team. They were matching each other blow for blow. He trained them very well. The saiyans were tired and could feel their energy draining fast.

"Move now!" Zaiya yelled as the others backed up behind her.

She shot the three giant orbs at the remaining enemy forces. Screams were heard as they tried to escape the orbs. Their efforts were futile as the balls of energy soon engulfed them and their ashes fell to the ground. The last that you saw were their bodies being vaporized.

"What?! No!" Ginyu yelled as the three orbs were flying towards him.

"Trident Destroyer is the name of this attack and it will be the last bit of light you ever see, you bastard." Zaiya said coldly as she shot a beam that attached to the three balls creating a trident. She then released the beam from her hand and it launched to the ship destroying it on impact along with all other nearby ships and enemy warriors.

As the blast cleared, they were able to see the last of the ships retreating into space. A roar of victory sounded from all the royals below and from those behind Zaiya. She turned around to look at her friends and family. She smiled a bit as her golden hair returned to its normal shade of brown. She didn't have much energy left and the others started to move towards her. And then disaster struck. A strong Ki-blast was shot through her chest; Ginyu's last attack before his own death. Time seemed to freeze as Zaiya began to fall to the ground.

End of Chapter 3. Sorry if the fight scene sucked . I'm not too great at those with big amounts of people. What will happen to Zaiya? Please review


	4. Broken

Winning Her Heart

As the blast cleared, they were able to see the last of the ships retreating into space. A roar of victory sounded from all the royals below and from those behind Zaiya. She turned around to look at her friends and family. She smiled a bit as her golden hair returned to its normal shade of brown. She didn't have much energy left and the others started to move towards her. And then disaster struck. A strong Ki-blast was shot through her chest; Ginyu's last attack before his own death. Time seemed to freeze as Zaiya began to fall to the ground.

Chapter 4: Broken

Zaiya's P.O.V

I felt the Ki-blast make its way through my chest as if in slow motion. The shock stopped the pain, though not for long. I saw everyone's faces before I felt myself start to fall. I could vaguely hear my name being shouted, but it was drowned out by a deafening silence. I could feel the blood seeping out of the wound and for a second I felt the blood of my body rushing to the wound to try and heal it. Everything was turning black, but I could still see the light dots of stars. My body was near numb as the wind hit my face, I could feel my breath hitch when I tried to breathe. The ground was getting closer, but ever so slowly. Was this going to be the end of me?

I felt arms wrap around me, but they weren't my mother's or father's. They were vaguely familiar. I can't remember.

"Zaiya!" I could barely hear my name.

"Oh Zaiya, please, open your eyes!" My mother crying.

"Zaiya…c'mon, you can't die on us. Fight it princess!" My father…his voice was cracking.

I tried to force my eyes open, but they barely did. I saw Trunks looking down at me with tears in his icy eyes. I didn't like seeing him cry, it made what was left of my heart ache. I hear him, I hear his voice. He's calling to me.

"T…runks…." I could barely say it. He looked at me, his eyes wide.

"Zaiya…." I tried to give him a small smile. I felt my mother's hands near the wound and the familiar warm sensation of her healing magic.

I wish I could tell her not to waste her energy…that it was too late…and there was nothing…nothing that she could do. I felt cold and tired; I could feel my eyelids falling.

"Zaiya no! Stay with me! Please Zaiya!" Trunks cried out desperately.

"Zaiya, hang on sweetie." My mother is no longer holding back her sobs. My father isn't either.

I feel Trunks' tears fall onto me. He pushes my bangs out of my face. His hand is a bit rough to the touch, but gentle as it caresses me. It feels good. I'm glad I'm in his arms now.

I cough, blood coming with it and spilling out of my mouth. I feel my heart slowing…my breathing stopping. I feel the blood in my mouth and in my throat, slowly choking me. I feel the cold slowly taking hold of my body as the endless darkness approaches. I feel the pain that is taking hold, though my body is numb. I feel myself dying.

My mother stopped healing me, accepting the inevitable. I see their lips moving, but I can no longer hear their voices. They are saying that they are sorry for not protecting me and how much they love me. Their torn faces filled with heartache is the last thing I see as I fade into the darkness and close my eyes, letting a single tear escape me.

Trunks' P.O.V

Zaiya's body became limp as I held her in my arms.

"Zaiya? Zaiya!" I called to her, knowing how pointless it was.

"Trunks…she's gone." I hear her mother whisper. I know she is right, but a part of me refuses to believe it.

I feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. Why is this affecting me so much? Why do I care about her so much? Why did she have to die?! I scream the questions in my head as more tears fall. I look at her lifeless body. Even in death, she is the most beautiful creature in the galaxy. I only met her today and she managed to capture my heart…the minute she smiled. The memory hurt.

I look around and see everyone crying or wearing a solemn expression, even my father. Everyone is silent except for the sobbing.

I feel broken inside…as though she was the only thing holding me together. I want her back…I will do everything in my power to bring her back.

"Father…Goku…can we use the dragon balls to bring her back?"

End of Chapter 4: Sorry it was so short. Tell me what you thought of it in a review.


	5. The Heart That Was Lost

Winning Her Heart

"Father…Goku…can we use the dragon balls to bring her back?"

Chapter 5: The Heart that was Lost

"I...it's possible. We have them all gathered on Earth, but it's going to take more than one wish to fix all that has been lost here." Goku replied.

"Are you implying that we return to Namek Kakarot? From what I recall the dragon on Namek grants three wishes, does he not?" Vegeta inclined his head towards Goku.

"Yes."

"How far is Namek from here?" Trunks asked, his eyes never leaving the girl in his arms.

"About a 5 hour travel east. But what are these dragon balls that you all speak of?" Tonak asked; hope daring to show in his eyes.

"The dragon balls are a set of seven starred balls. When you put them all together you can summon an all-powerful dragon who has the power to grant nearly any wish. On Earth, the dragon is named Shenron. He only grants one wish. On planet Namek, where the dragon balls originated, the dragon is named Porunga. He grants three wishes." Trunks explained calmly.

"But will they be able to revive her?" Zaraiya asked still a bit skeptical as much as she wanted to put her trust into these dragon balls.

"Yea, we've used them to bring Namek back after Frieza destroyed it along with all the Namekians, not to mention how many times we've used to revive people of Earth, all of us included." Goku said rubbing the back of his neck.

"Then we'll leave for Namek at once." Zaraiya said as she looked at her daughter's pale face.

"Everyone, you may go home or you may stay here. The choice is yours. We will be departing for Namek within the hour." Tonak tried to keep his voice loud and level, but it was an obvious struggle.

"She should be put in a healing chamber if you have one." Bulma suggested.

"There is one on the ship. Trunks would you mind bringing Zaiya's...would you mind bringing her to the healing chamber?" Zaraiya said choking back a sob.

Trunks nodded and stood up cradling Zaiya's limp body close to him as if the contact would bring her back. He followed Zaraiya onto the ship and placed Zaiya into the healing chamber as gently as he could.

"Thank you Trunks for all that you have done tonight." Zaraiya had her eyes fixed on her daughter in the chamber.

"For what? I wasn't able to save her." Trunks began to clench his fists tightly.

"You did more than you realize young prince." Zaraiya put her hand on his shoulder causing him to look at her. She had a small smile upon her grieved face and for a second he could have sworn he saw Zaiya smiling at him instead of her mother. They looked very similar now that she was so close to him.

"What do you mean?" He finally asked.

"You caused her to enjoy the party. I had never seen her smile so brightly or laugh so truly. You weren't afraid to try to be there for her, not as a possible mate, as your father would put it, but as a friend. Not many would do that. You didn't hesitate to fight by her side as I did and you protected her with your life. None of us saw that final blast coming; there was nothing any of us could do. You saved her from falling as well. Cradled her so gingerly and lovingly, scared to lose her. Your name was her last word. I believe that you had begun to capture her heart; I could tell that she was falling for you, despite it only being the night that you met. And now you thought of a way to save her again, to bring her back to us. You did more for her than you think." Zaraiya never broke eye contact with him.

Trunks couldn't stop the tears falling down his face. "Knowing that makes it even harder to leave her here like this until Namek."

"You may ride with us Trunks, I would prefer it honestly. Will your parents mind?"

"I don't think so." He shrugged.

"Okay, I have one more question for you though. Are you willing to answer it truthfully?" She asked suddenly serious.

"Yes."

"I know it was only one night that you knew her, but you saw many parts of her this one night as well and with the way you were when she... When she was fading, I feel that I should ask. Did you love her?" The intensity of Zaraiya's words and her stare hit Trunks harder than any opponent he had faced. He was at a loss of words at first.

"I can't say that I loved her, but she did capture my heart. And now it's broken without her, crying out for her smile, her laugh, just her breath. I don't want anyone else to have my heart except her. I will do everything in my power to bring her back from other world. I promise you that." He said surprising himself at all he admitted.

"And if she doesn't choose you?"

"I will accept her choice and love her silently. Be her friend if she would allow it. If not, I will accept it and stay away from her." The tears were starting to come again. He hadn't thought about that at all, but he meant what he said, though he knows he would be forever broken. To truly love someone is to want to see them at their happiest, no matter how much pain you may go through because of it.

"You truly are one of a kind. I don't think your heart will be broken by her. She has never looked at anyone with such a bright sparkle in her eyes. We better buckle up and get ready for the trip, we leave in 15 minutes." Zaraiya said as she disappeared into the control room.

Trunks' P.O.V

Had it really been almost an hour that he and Zaraiya were talking? I thought to myself as I followed into the control room and sat in what I assume is usually Zaiya's seat.

As I sat down, I looked at her desk area. There was a note-book there with a white rose design on its red cover. I suddenly felt tempted to read it, but I know it is something personal to her so I refrain from it. I look ahead as we head to planet Namek. She'll be smiling again before I know it.

~Time skip 5 hours~

Normal P.O.V

They all stepped out of their ships and were greeted by the planet's Guru, Moori along with a number of his kinfolk.

"Greetings to all. I was wondering when we would be getting a visit from you all, ha-ha. And you even brought new faces. You are all welcome." He said smiling widely before looking at their solemn expressions. "Has something happened?" He asked more serious now.

"Unfortunately Grand Elder Guru sir, we aren't here for a normal visit. You see the planet of Averia has been attacked while there was a conference and we lost many including the planet's princess. These two here are the king and queen of Planet Averia and they have come seeking the help of Porunga." Goku explained.

"I see. I am sorry for the pain you have all suffered. Please follow me to the dragon balls so that we may heal your hearts and the planet." Moori said as he began walking, the other Namekians making a path for the visitors and their elder.

"Thank you so very much Grand Elder." Zaraiya and Tonak said as they followed him to the shrine of the dragon balls.

"There is no need to thank me. It is the right thing to do." He said as they entered a white shrine.

The shrine was very tall, but was not very large in width. It resembled a fancy gazebo. The tall white pillars holding up the rounded ceiling. Three simple steps leading to the inside. In the middle of the shrine on a pedestal were the dragon balls. The stone form of Porunga looming over them.

"Oh my, they are beautiful." Zaraiya said as she gazed at them.

"They are powerful. Please excuse me." Moori took the dragon balls and laid them on the ground outside of the shrine.

He began to chant in Namekian to arise the dragon. The sky began to turn black as the balls glowed white. A white beam shot into the sky forming into the dragon known as Porunga. His large green form looming over those below.

"What is your wish? I will only grant three!" His voice was like thunder pounding in your ears.

"What are your wishes?" Moori asked.

"To revert the damage done to the planet of Averia." Goku spoke quickly.

Moori turned to the dragon and spoke the wish in Namekian.

"Very well." A bright light shined as the wish was carried out. "Your wish has been granted. Speak your next wish." The dragon spoke.

"To revive all those who fell in the battle against Ginyu on Planet Averia." Tonak spoke.

Moori once again chanted to the dragon, but Porunga was silent.

"I cannot fully grant that wish." He said.

"Why?" Was asked by all.

"I can revive all but the princess of the planet. She is a special case because of her origins. I can heal her body, but her soul and spirit must be revived through a different force before her heart can beat again. Shall I revive all and her body for your second wish?" The great dragon explained.

A slight nod from Zaraiya gave the answer and Moori told the dragon to do so. Again the bright white light shined as the wish was granted.

"And your third wish?" Asked the dragon.

"How do we revive her heart?!" Trunks nearly yelled.

"Our third wish is for the dragon to tell us how we can fully revive her." Tonak said hurriedly.

"Even I do not know the proper way to revive the fallen princess, but the process can be found in the deepest part of Averia. Where the water falls endlessly into a crystal lake." The dragon spoke.

"Thank you almighty Porunga."

"Until we meet again. Farewell." The dragon spoke his last words as the dragon balls split in different directions.

"The deepest part of Averia where the water falls endlessly into a crystal lake." Zaraiya spoke softly to herself holding back the tears in her eyes.

"Where could that be?" Tonak wondered aloud.

"Wait, you mean you don't know?!" Vegeta said shocked at the two of them.

"No, we don't. We haven't been to every part of the planet. We don't know all of its secrets." Zaraiya was ashamed of herself as she held her head low.

"The only one that could probably figure out the riddle is..." Tonak trailed off looking off into the distance of the ship.

"Zaiya..." Trunks said. Tonak nodded.

"She went everywhere. Maybe one of her friends would know Tonak?" Zaraiya seemed so hopeful.

"They have to know." He said.

"I will take you to your ships then. I wish we could have been of more help." He said as lead them to their ships.

"Nonsense, you did all you could and that was more than enough. We owe you more than our thanks." Zaraiya spoke to him softly.

"I wish you luck reviving your daughter." Moori said as they were boarding the ships.

"Thank you." Tonak replied back. The Grand Elder nodded to them and waves with his kin as the ships faded into the distance heading back to Averia.

"Good luck Saiyans." Moori said silently to the fading ships.

End of Chapter 5

I am soooo sorry this took so long to update, I got so busy so fast with work, apartment hunting, writers block, and other things. Chapter 6 will be up soon. Tell me if you liked this chapter!


	6. The Legend of Celestial Falls

Winning Her Heart

Chapter 6: The Legend of Celestial Falls

They landed in a different part of Averia, one further from the castle where the battle had not reached. It was lush with green meadows filled with flowers. The houses themselves were more ancient and made of wood rather than newer stone materials.

"What part of Averia is this?" Trunks asked.

"This is Lorania, the land of the ancients. It is one of the most peaceful and lovely places in Averia. It is also one of Zaiya's favorite places. She used to come here as a child to her stories from the elders. Then she met others her age that lived here. They are the ones we are here for." Zaraiya explained as they entered the village.

"Wouldn't it be smarter to ask the elders where this crystal lake is?" Vegeta said, his eyebrow raised.

"They are a last resort. Many may know the story, but there is a high possibility that none of them have seen the place themselves. Zaiya would have sought it out and odds are she did it with her two best friends, Liz and Vero." Tonak explained.

"I see. Well then let's find these two as quickly as possible." Vegeta said.

The rest nodded in agreement.

They came up to a large guardian dog at the entrance. He was a dusty gray color with silver streaks in his fur and a spiked collar. He loomed over the others as though he was some god.

"Hello Zero." Zaraiya said petting the giant dog's muzzle. He began to sniff around, looking for something.

"Zaiya isn't here boy. She's...in trouble. We need to see Lizarra and Vero. Can you call them here?" Tonak said gently.

Zero wasted no time in throwing his head back and making a series of odd howls and sounds. Almost instantly two people came flying over to him. The first was a girl. She had straight, jet black hair with blue streaks. She was about the same height as Zaraiya and was a little more than curvy. She wore tight black jeans and had a royal blue V-neck over it. The second was a boy. He had gentle features with dusty brown hair. He had a light muscle build to him. He was the same height as Trunks. He wore loose dark jeans with a gray shirt and a black leather vest over it.

"Everyone this is Lizarra and Vero." Zaraiya said as the two said people gave their greetings.

"Do you know who they are?" Tonak asked.

"We know everyone except the children of the rulers." Lizarra said.

"This is Trunks, Goten, Marron, Bulla, and Pan." Zaraiya pointed to each.

"Well aren't they cute." Liz said eyeing Trunks.

"Where's Zaiya?" Vero asked. Everyone's faces darkened at the mention of her name.

"That's why we're here. She...she died in the fight..." Tonak said looking down.

"WHAT?!" Was screamed by both as Zero began to howl in mourning.

"But we heard that you went to use the dragon balls or whatever they're called to revive everyone?" Liz said eyes wide.

"They could only revive her body, not her soul, spirit, and heart. We were told to find the deepest part of Averia where the water falls endlessly into a crystal lake. Do either of you know where that is?" Zaraiya asked, the tension in her body evident.

"N-no we don't. We've never been to a place like that." Liz said tears now falling.

"Maybe one of the elders knows." Vero suggested. "Let's go ask Griselda. She told Zaiya some of the most legendary areas on this planet."

And so they went to see the elder Griselda.

~Time Skip: 10 miutes~

"So Trunks right?" Lizarra started looking at Trunks expectantly.

"Yea..." He was a bit confused at what would cause her to strike up small talk now.

"What did you think of Zaiya?"

It took him by surprise really. Her eyes were a deep lavender that showed how serious she was.

"Words could never fully describe her. She was...is enchanting, brave, incredible, strong, beautiful, clever, smart, elegant, sweet, silly...*sigh* she's perfect." He finally finished realizing he was babbling.

"I see. So you totally fell for her?" She asked, a knowing smile on her lips. He nodded, his eyes heavy with sadness.

"Everyone does. Just be careful, you aren't the only one in love with her." She tilted her head in Vero's direction and he was giving Trunks what seemed like a death glare. Trunks hardened his gaze at the other male before turning back to Liz.

"How long has he loved her?"

"Since he met her. She never liked him in that way though. He refuses to give up and let her go."

"I see. I will win her heart though." Trunks said confidently.

"Confident words. Let's see if they hold true." Liz walked up further as they approached Griselda's house.

"Welcome your highnesses and welcome to you two as well." The old woman said bowing to her guests. "I presume this is about Zaiya?" She queried.

"How did you know?" Trunks asked.

"Son, I am the most ancient being on this planet. I know nearly all things. My magic flows to the spirits and I can hear their calls. But alas, I know not of the place you are looking for." Griselda said calmly, but grimly.

Zaraiya all but burst into tears at this statement.

"Calm yourself child. There is one who knows of this place. He is the only one she shared this place with." Griselda continued.

"He?!" Vero shouted. "I'm the only guy she is ever with and she never went with me!"

"She may hang out with you most, but you are not the only male in her life. Now shut your mouth and listen before I send you to another dimension." Griselda warned, shutting Vero up quickly.

"If not Vero then who Griselda." Zaraiya asked tears still streaming down her tired face.

"Zero." Griselda said a smile upon her face.

"Z-Zero? He knows?" Liz sputtered.

"He is an ancient guardian constantly reborn. The fact that he was raised and cared for by Zaiya allowed him to place enough trust in her to take her to this heavenly place. There is, however, a warning story of this place." Griselda became suddenly serious. "To those who go into this cavern with ill intent, the lake shall never be found and its secrets shall remain hidden forever as those who entered will be lost until the end of time. Even with Zero guiding you, your hearts must be pure and without any ill intent for this holy place, do you understand?" They all nodded. "Then go to Zero and explain it all."

They approached the large beast as he eyed them curiously.

"Zero, we need your help. In order to revive Zaiya, we must find the deepest part of Averia where the water falls endlessly into a crystal lake. Griselda told us that you knew where it was and could take us there. Is that true boy?" Zaraiya asked.

Zero's eyes began to shine blue and a light suddenly passed over them.

"That place is one I have been entrusted with guarding. Zaiya is the only one I have taken there." Everyone turned to Zero shocked that he could speak. His voice was low and deep, scary almost. "Originally she was the only one who I would speak with as well. I will bring you there. But words of caution, if any of you are of tainted heart, you will be trapped in that cavern for the rest of your days."

"We understand." Tonak spoke for all.

"Very well. Follow me and please keep up." Zero said as he let out a howl that broke his chain. He took off running, the others following by flight.

'Soon Zaiya, you will be with me again.'

The last thought on the path to the cavern.

End Chapter 6

Well what did you guys think? Who do you think had that last thought? Do you think anyone's heart is tainted? Find out in the next chapter coming soon.


	7. The Path of Challenges (Part 1)

Winning Her Heart

"Very well. Follow me and please keep up." Zero said as he let out a howl that broke his chain. He took off running, the others following by flight.

'Soon Zaiya, you will be with me again.'

The last thought on the path to the cavern…

Chapter 7: The Path of Challenges (Part 1)

Trunks' P.O.V

We soon arrived at the entrance to the cavern. It was surrounded by a lush green forest, the only clearing being the one in which the cave was. The clearing was like a small meadow, a shade of spring green with small flowers of yellow, blue, and pink dotting the surface. I could hear a small stream running down its path, but I could not see it. Zero stood to the side of the entrance, waiting for the rest of our group to land. Once they did, he spoke.

"Only five may enter. Preferably five that she cared for. Make the choice of who will accompany me to the lake."

"Well, Zaraiya and Tonak of course. Who else?" My mother spoke out loud.

"Lizarra and Vero, they are her best friends." Tonak said, Zero gave a nod as did Zaraiya.

"One more may enter." Zero said eyeing the rest of the group.

"Trunks, I think you should come. Remember it was you who made her happy that night, you that she called for and opened up to." Zaraiya said looking towards me.

Of course I remembered all of that. How could I forget it? Zaiya changed my world the minute she spoke to me. Remembering that night made me feel lost and suddenly hollow. My heart ached for her and I wanted her back more than anything. I wanted to hold her in my arms again and see her smile at me. I had to go with them into the cavern. I simply nodded at Zaraiya and joined their little group.

"Are you sure of your decisions? Remember, even the slightest taint on one's heart can cause you to be lost forever." Zero repeated the warning.

"Yes we are." Zaraiya sounded more confident than she looked.

"Then follow me."

"Good luck you guys!" My mother shouted behind us.

We walked far into the cavern, the light from outside slowly fading, before reaching a door surrounded by small torches. The door stood high, reaching the ceiling. It was made of silver, or what looked like silver. Small crystals embroidered the door's frame, too small to tell what they were. The torches were made of the same silver as the door and attached to the wall of the cave.

"This is the last chance you have to return. If you feel your heart is tainted, go back now." The great dog suddenly spoke. We all looked to each other and nodded. "Very well." His eyes shined an icy blue as blue flames erupted in each torch. One by one, each gem shattered and covered the door in a silvery white dust. The door slowly creaked open and we saw three different paths to take ahead of us.

"Follow me closely." Zero began walking towards the tunnel on the right, the rest of us following behind him.

I couldn't help the feeling I had that something was wrong. We began to traverse a stairwell with no rails, nothing but a dark pit beneath us. As we reached the bottom, Zero led us down a torch-lit pathway, the safety of the wall returning soon after. At least they seemed safe. After walking for some distance, it began to feel as though the walls were closing in on us. I wasn't the only one that noticed it either. I felt Liz press closer to me and saw Zaraiya slightly move closer to Tonak. I didn't understand Lizarra's attachment to me. Wouldn't she feel safer close to Vero? They had been friends for years from my understanding. Vero…I glanced at him. Could Zaiya love him? Liz said she didn't, but that he loved her. I could tell he was seething underneath at what Zaraiya had said to me before entering the cave. His green eyes seemed full of envy and his eyebrows were furrowed together. The biggest clue was the scowl on his face. He looked over to me and our eyes locked. A silent battle occurring between us. He turned away and let out an aggravated sigh. He obviously didn't want me here. He wasn't the only one either. Zero did not seem to trust me one bit, he kept glancing back at me as he walked ahead of us. I just hoped this wouldn't cause any problems in our journey.

The tunnel led to a great opening with ancient writings on the walls. Broken pillars lay around us, some still reaching to the high ceiling while others were cut off on a slant. Each had cracks and pieces missing. The stone that made up the pillars seemed ancient; it was a shade of beige and seemed to glow in the rest of the cave's darkness. What would it be like to be stuck in this endless maze of tunnels for the rest of eternity? I didn't want to find out; hopefully I wouldn't have to.

Zero began to speak in an ancient language and the writing on the wall came to life. The letters so beautifully carved turned blood red and multiplied. The words flew in circles around us as if testing our hearts and taking our was slow at first, but became faster and faster as it went creating a small gale of wind inside of the cylinder it created around each of us. I felt my hair waving around wildly and saw everyone else's was as well. Zero gazed at us while this process occurred, apparently used to it. The words began to turn white as if showing purity. As each word turned, the spiral began to slow until coming to a full stop. The words created a glow and then slowly left us, each finding its way to the door. The melody of symbols released Zaraiya first, followed by Tonak, then me and Liz. However, it didn't leave Vero as it left us. The symbols around him were still red and spiraling at top speed.

"Why isn't he being released from the web of words?" Liz asked Zero.

"Something in his heart is impure. The ancient ones do not trust him yet. They are seeking his intentions." Zero replied flatly.

"What happens if they don't trust him?" I asked.

"Depends on the ancients. They can either throw him out of the cave or into an eternal maze within this cave and he will be forced to wander until his time is up."

"Will anything happen to us if the ancients do not trust him?" Zaraiya seemed hesitant to ask.

"That too is up to the ancients and their judgements of you." As Zero finished speaking, Vero was released from the ancients and the grand doorway was revealed. Jewels appeared around the entire door, each shining red upon a golden door. They all began to turn white and in the center of the door more ancient writing appeared.

"Those who go on from here be wary, for those around you are not who they seem. There are challenges you will face and at each doorway a new trial from the ancients. The forces of darkness will try to win you. Be sure of those who continue." Zero read the ancient text to us.

"We are all advancing through." Tonak said firmly. Zero just went through the door and flicked his bushy tail signaling us to follow.

We went through a winding cave. There were so many twists and turns I thought I would get dizzy. The walls around us were a dizzying dark gray. We all stood close together and even closer to Zero, fearing being lost in this cave. The path led into another large room; an ancient text was upon the farthest wall and there were 2 tunnels to the left of it, while there were 3 to the right.

"Another test for those who wish to gain entry. Defy the paths of time, an unlimited power. This will test what you are after. A feeling of pure sensation. Will you give in to temptation?" Zero spoke.

"So we each have to take a path then?" Vero asked seemingly bored.

"Yes, I wish you luck."

I chose the path to the right of the ancient text. As I entered it seemed as though I was transported to a different place, but it still looked like a normal cave. I continued on and found myself at a fork in the road. There were two tunnels. I took the one on the left and hoped for the best. I continued on forward until I heard a voice…one all too familiar.

"Trunks!" I ran to her. I froze when I came to a clearing in which the sun shone brightly on a golden field. Zaiya stood at its center eyeing me.

"I've been waiting for you. You took so long." She did a little pouty face.

"Z-Zaiya…how are you here?"

"What does it matter? All that matters is that we are together now and alone." She ran across the field and into my arms causing me to fall back with her. She smiled at me as she brushed a strand of hair out of my face. I smiled and she did too, her hand still resting on the side of my face. This wasn't possible…was it? She seemed so real. Her touch, her scent, the feel of her, and her eyes still gleamed like the stars. The sun was warm on my face and the grass was soft beneath me. As I sat up Zaiya separated a bit from me, but her smile never faltered. She was with me and she was so happy. She looked beautiful in a summer dress the color of the sunset. Her hair fell in waves as it did at the celebration. I moved my hand to move her hair away from her face and she placed her hand on mine, giving me a smaller, but warmer smile. I felt my heart beat a bit faster as I smiled back. How badly I wanted to kiss her in that moment. I let my hand drop as the tears were threatening to fall from my eyes. Her face went to one of concern.

"Trunks?" I couldn't hold back anymore.

"Zaiya…I…." She hugged me, shocking me for an instant. Her arms were wrapped around my neck loosely and her body was lightly pressed against mine. I hugged her back, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist and pulling her close to me. I placed my head on her shoulder and inhaled her scent. She smelled like apples and something else that I couldn't quite figure out. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you." The tears started coming out uncontrollably and she held me tighter. She made shushing noises as she stroked my hair, trying to calm me.

"Trunks, it wasn't your fault. Please stop blaming yourself. I'm here with you now and we'll be together forever. That is what you want isn't it?" She sounded so sure and I felt as though all my problems were gone. I held her close to me and then looked into her eyes. How badly I wanted to say yes and let her hold me in her arms for eternity. I almost did.

But one thing burned in my mind. Zaiya was dead…I held her when she died; I heard her last words and felt my heart ache when Porunga said he couldn't bring her back. That was why I was here. Her heart could only be revived by something in this cavern and we had not found it yet. This was the test. And she…wasn't real.

And so I answered her, feeling more defeated than I thought possible. "I want it more than anything in the world Zaiya and I promise you that I will make it a reality…with the real you." I pulled away from her, tears stinging my eyes as I watched her surprised face turn into a smiling one as she faded away like dust in the wind. A path opened up and I followed it back to the original hall where Zero lay waiting.

It seemed that I was the first one to return. Zero glanced up at me as I wiped away the last of my tears; it seemed he didn't expect me to be the one to come out first.

"I am surprised you were first to conquer this trial." He confirmed my thoughts.

"Why is that?"

"I didn't think you would be able to survive a realistic illusion. Many don't." He said simply and if he was human I'm sure he would've shrugged his shoulders.

"I see. Do you see the challenges we face?" I was curious.

"I do. Yours seemed particularly painful. My mistress seems to be a big part of the challenges in this cavern for almost all of you."

"Almost all of us?" I was confused now. I didn't think that Zaiya would be repeated for each of us.

"Yes, though for each that sees her, she is different. The only one who is not dealing with an illusion of her is Lizarra. She, oddly enough, is dealing with an illusion of you." He said the last part with an edge to his voice. I couldn't help the pink tinge on my cheeks. He glared at me.

"Is anything going on between you two?" He seemed almost angry as he asked.

"No." I said it firmly and it took him by surprise. "My heart belongs to Zaiya and it will never belong to anyone else."

"Even if she were to reject you?" I had the feeling of déjà vu, suddenly remembering Zaraiya's similar questions.

"Yes." I say in almost a whisper. Zero seems pleased by my answer. I wonder if that's a good or bad thing. "Can I see what the others are facing?" I was tentative to ask, but Zero just nodded and projected a screen over each cave. I wondered how he was able to do it, but didn't ask.

Zaraiya and Tonak were having illusions similar to mine. They wanted Zaiya back so badly; it's no wonder that they would see her as well. I glanced over the cave I went into and saw that, even though I had passed the test, my illusion was playing. Next to me was Lizarra's illusion. As Zero said, her illusion was with me and currently she was making out with the illusion of me. I couldn't help but shiver at that sight. I heard Zero lowly chuckle behind me. Finally, I saw Vero's illusion…and what I saw made an unknown rage flare up inside me. In Vero's illusion Zaiya was praising him and dressed…she was barely even dressed. She had on a long, but skimpy white dress; it reminded me of Greek Goddesses and their type of clothing. I can't say that she didn't look good because it was the exact opposite, but the fact that it was his illusion and deepest desire disgusted me and I clenched my fists tightly as I heard the conversation they were having.

"Oh Vero, I have always loved you and no one else. Everyone is inferior to you my king." The illusion seductively said as she fed him grapes…yes grapes…like he was royalty and she was his slave lover or something. It was sickening.

"That's right baby. I'm glad you finally realized that. Now tell me what you want?" Vero said cupping the side of her face. She leaned into it. I heard myself growl or maybe it was Zero, I couldn't tell anymore.

"I want you. Take me to a whole new world…Vero." She gave him a sultry look as she bit her lip. He gave her a dirty, evil, and cruel smirk as he leaned in to her lips. I couldn't take anymore and I blasted the wall where the screen was causing it to disappear.

"I was wondering how much of that you could take. You're seething with anger. I don't blame you at all though. I've thought about ripping his throat out more than once when I saw that." Zero said growling and baring his long fangs. "How dare he defile my mistress like that?"

"How could he care about something like that when she's gone? He says he loves her, but that is not love!" I was furious to say the least.

"Calm yourself. It is painful, but you must remind yourself that it is just an illusion. That Zaiya is not real. The real Zaiya would never do anything like that, especially not with him." Zero said and somehow it calmed me, but my dislike of Vero had turned into hatred and I would never let him have her now.

Just then another wall opened up revealing Zaraiya. Tears were streaming down her face. I could only imagine the pain she felt inside. Tonak followed shortly after, looking not much better than Zaraiya did. They stayed together, silent, as we all waited for the final two.

About ten minutes passed before another wall opened up. Vero stepped out looking pleased with himself. I didn't like that look knowing the details of his illusion of Zaiya. I felt the sudden urge to punch or shoot him, but held myself down to a glare which he returned with a smirk. Not too long after Liz finally came out and the grand doors behind Zero opened to another tunnel.

This tunnel was lined with little blue flames, making it easier to see the path before us. This tunnel seemed to be carved specifically to be seen. Jewels and gems decorated the walls, along with drawings and the ancient language.

"What are all of these?" Tonak asked.

"This is the path of time and history as it has passed throughout the years. It tells of each and every person that has entered; each guardian that brought them, and what their purpose was as well as if they succeeded in their quest." We all began to analyze the wall a bit more closely.

I could see the depictions of people, all traveling the cave, some with a dog like Zero, some with other creatures. They showed the torment some faced at their first trial and how some failed. How those who passed went on, but it all ended abruptly, each person's quest and story, not going past the first trial of temptation and illusion.

"We have arrived at the second trial." Zero announced as we went into another large hall similar to the last one. "A test to see what your heart is worth, go forth and find the values you must unearth."

Again we went into our own caves; oddly enough it was in the same pattern as before. This time the path was straight and long. I entered the large room and waited for the test the ancients prepared here. The room began to twist until I was in a field with Goten. It appeared that we were on Earth, the field seemed familiar. The grass was short and there were a few trees around us. I looked forward and saw a lake, in front of it lay an injured dragon.

"Goten what's going on?" I asked him.

"I don't know. The dragon just fell from the sky. It must be hurt or something."

"We should help it then." I started to head toward the small pink dragon, but Goten blocked my path.

"Dude, are you insane?! That thing is vicious! It's been terrorizing this valley for years. We should just end its reign of terror." Goten said with an odd passion in his eyes.

"Goten…that's how nature works. Besides the other animals were never bothered by him, now move." I said trying to push past him.

"Well in nature, when an animal is injured, they either survive it or they don't. Most of them die Mr. Genius." Goten still wouldn't budge. He did have a point, but when I looked at the dragon and the pain it was in I couldn't just leave it there to suffer.

"Move Goten." I said as I pushed him aside and went to help the dragon. It growled at me baring its teeth.

"Shhh, it's going to be alright. I'm going to help you." I said as I began to inspect its wing. I noticed it was limp and the dragon roared when I touched it. I wished that I had some medical supplies and just like magic, what I needed appeared at my side and I was able to treat the dragon's wound. The dragon began to smile and the room began to change again, but not back to normal. It brought me to another scenario.

This time I was alone in a big house. It seemed like a log cabin. There was furniture in the kitchen and living room and stairs that led to the second floor. It was quite cozy actually, a nice summer home or something. Then I remembered the log cabin my family used to go to when Bulla and I were kids. This must be that cabin, but I don't understand why I'm alone here. What test could possibly be in here? There was a bang upstairs and I ran to the noise. What I saw was horrifying. My father was beating my mother. She was bleeding and bruised, I could see the fear in her cerulean eyes. My father was getting ready to hit her again, but I grabbed his hand and pushed him away. He was not happy at being stopped.

"YOU IMPUDENT BRAT! STAND ASIDE OR SO HELP ME I WILL KILL YOU ALONG WITH THIS SOW!" He yelled at me. I was in such shock that I barely felt his fist against my face as I was flung to the side. I could feel the bruise swelling up.

He kicked my mother and she coughed up blood. I had never felt so scared before. What was I supposed to do? It seemed my father wouldn't stop unless… the realization dawned on me. He wouldn't stop until either she was dead or he was dead. I basically had a choice to make, let my father kill my mother…or…kill my father. Both were wrong, but I couldn't just let him kill my mother for no reason. If these weren't my parents, there would be no hesitation. I clenched my eyes shut wondering what to do. I would never harm my parents, but these aren't my parents. My father would never hit my mother no matter how angry she made him. With that last thought I shot a beam through my father's chest and he fell to the ground. My mother let out a startled gasp and began to cry, but from my father's death or pain I do not know.

The scene then faded back to the cave and I was allowed out. Zaraiya and Tonak were already done and waiting. It seemed we had to once again wait for Liz and Vero. Zero wasn't projecting the trials this time so we all just waited patiently in silence. Liz and Vero came out at the same time looking almost defeated. It seemed odd and a little questionable, but remembering what I had to do in my trial made me think twice about it. The doors then slowly opened and again we were led down a hall like the previous one, continuing the stories of the previous drawings in the first hall leading to the second trial. There was only one trial left and it would be the hardest one yet.

That is the end of chapter 7! What will the last trial be? I'm sorry this is so late. A lot came up for me; hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 8 will be up soon!


	8. The Path of Challenges (Part 2)

Winning Her Heart

There was only one trial left and it would be the hardest one yet.

Chapter 8: The Path of Challenges (Part 2)

(Still in Trunks' P.O.V)

As we walked through the cave I noticed how eerie it was. The walls rose into the depths of darkness that was the ceiling. The only guarantee that there was an end to it were the spiked ends of stalactites hanging above us, while the stalagmites surrounded us on the cavern floor. It seemed as though they were all shaking, waiting in anticipation to see who their next victim would be. Upon the walls were gruesome depictions of those who had failed. I felt Liz shudder next to me, obviously scared by all of this. I couldn't let this faze me; I had to make it through these tests. I needed to save Zaiya.

"Zero, have any died in this cavern?" Lizarra asked shakily.

"Yes. The wall depictions don't lie. Those that failed the last trial would suffer by believing they were going to the final trial, but in truth, they were stuck in a cave like this one and constantly impaled by the spikes until they finally fell and then their bodies were left to rot." There was a monotone to his voice, making the truth that much scarier.

"YOU ACT LIKE THAT'S NORMAL!" Liz yelled causing the spikes to shake.

"It is for this cave. Besides, that pain is nothing compared to the ones others have faced after failing the final trial or just going through it. You will all need to be strong in the upcoming trial." He spoke with a finality that caused us all to go silent. You couldn't even hear our breathing, if we were breathing.

"What could be worse than being stabbed to death?" I hear Liz whisper. I wonder the same thing myself.

We continue on and come to a door that is dark as night. Purple smoke surrounds it as letters begin to appear inside of it. There is barely any light in this room and I feel as though we are being watched from the ominous shadows that surround us. A whispering wind begins to blow around us carrying with it some words of the smoke: _Shiyaniru….Lasindra….Covenita siru ni….RUNNISU! Savira al tun zerie!_

The whispers became increasingly louder and I could feel my mind going insane, being penetrated by these words as though they were searching for something. They feel as though they are warnings to turn back, spiraling in our minds, turning everything to black. There is a distant light, yet creepy laugh that comes with the words. I heard screaming, but I couldn't see anything. My vision was blocked by shadows, spiraling darkness. I heard Zero's voice, or perhaps it was some demon reading the incantation in the smoke, I couldn't tell anymore.

"Violent lust before eternal calm. Waking madness on bloody palms. Darkest dream, darkest pleasure, fail and you'll be trapped forever."

After that, everything went black. I didn't know where I was. I felt numb, I couldn't move my body. All I could see was darkness. I couldn't help but wonder if this was how Zaiya felt as she was falling to the ground. I felt a sharp pain as a vision was shown, one that I never wanted to see again. Zaiya was shot…she was falling, but no one moved to catch her. I tried to move, but I couldn't. I felt as though my body was made of led. I could hear her…her thoughts….

"Everything is so cold…so dark…the blood, I can feel it slowly dripping, falling from my body. Is this what death feels like? Is it always this slow…this painful? I hear nothing…the ground is getting closer…the ground…it will be my end. No one could save me…."

"ZAIYA!" I scream, but I still can't move. I'm restrained. I am forced to watch as she hits the ground, creating a crater; her body lies contorted and broken at the bottom. I feel hot tears stream down my face. I couldn't help her…I couldn't save her.

"You could never save her…." A voice whispers.

I look around frantically trying to find the source, but all I can see is shadow and shreds of light as thin as a spider's thread bounding my arms and legs. They were so thin and yet, so strong. There had to be a way to break it. The scene begins playing again, this time her body being mangled after being shot repeatedly.

"She wasn't meant to be saved." That voice again. It made me angry…I wanted it to stop, but I was powerless to stop it.

The scenes continued, each worse than the last. I felt as though I was going mad. I began to notice streaks of red striking through the gloomy shadows. After each death, they grew and my sanity depleted. I couldn't watch them anymore. I forcibly shut my eyes unable to watch it anymore. The tears keep streaming down my face as I hear the shots, the crashes, the sounds of bones crunching.

"Stop it…." I whisper.

My heart wrenched and ached each time she died, even though I couldn't see it. I heard it all.

I don't want to hear this. Make it go away!" I became frantic, pulling at the threads that bound me, trying desperately to escape these scenes.

"The only escape is to forget…." The voice whispered.

"To…forget…?" I still couldn't move…and each time I struggled I felt myself grow weaker and more detached. My mind was going away with all shreds of my confidence and strength.

"Yes, forget her completely. Why should you feel such pain for a girl you barely knew? What could you ever do to save her? She has already died!"

The voice was right. What could I do…? I couldn't save her, I could never save her. Each time I struggled I failed against my near- invisible chains. What was the point in trying anymore…? I should just forget…. But yet I couldn't. Despite these thoughts, more tears flowed each time I heard the scenes unfolding in this dark world. The sounds were beginning to fade though. I remembered holding Zaiya; cradling her cold, limp body in my arms as the stars dully shined behind us…I remembered hearing her barely say my name, but I could feel myself forgetting. All the memories were slowly fading away and I, am slowly slipping into darkness.

"Tr…unks…." I hear her whisper again.

She's calling to me, but I can't help her. I never could. Everything is dull without her, even the smoky red streaks entering my mind. They are consuming my mind slowly and soon I will be wrapped in an eternal embrace of madness.

"Trunks…."

She is calling to me again, but I don't understand why. What can I do? What could I ever do? I failed to save her once…I'll always fail. I hear the sobs that are racking my body; I feel the pain from them. I feel everything is fading as my mind is consumed and turned red.

"Don't give in…."

Whose voice is that…?

"Please Trunks, keep fighting!"

I know that voice….

I start to see visions through the endless sea of scarlet. Glimpses of light brown hair, a white dress, silver eyes. The silver is spreading…I can see tiny dots marking the red sky. Wait…those are stars. They shine so brightly, just as they did that night. I remember the sparkle…I remember seeing the stars in her eyes, glowing brighter than ever before.

"Z-aiya…." I barely whisper. I see her smile, making the stars shine ever more brightly. I hear her laugh, making them explode and causing a chain of bursts. The red is fading away. The silver light is cleansing my mind. I feel light, my chains are gone. I can hear the vicious scenes playing out around me, but the silver light is keeping me from falling into the pit of shadows. My mind is being restored.

"Break out…." It's Zaiya's voice.

"You can do nothing!" The other voice, the words laced with venom.

I can't give up. She needs me. I promised I would save her. I WILL SAVE HER!

I feel myself sliding back into consciousness and I begin struggling against whatever is holding me.

"Zaiya…. I can't let her go." I growl in frustration at my chains. My eyes are still closed; I hear the scenes of her death unfolding again. I can't let them get to me.

"AHHHHHH!" Zaiya's scream. It was a blood curdling scream filled with pain. I opened my eyes to see the tears streaming down her face as she started to fall, her mouth stuck in a silent scream.

"NO!" I broke free of the chains easily, the threads falling seamlessly behind me, and caught her body.

"Zaiya?" I hold her body, hoping I was in time, but again I couldn't save her. I looked down at her as her body slowly dissolved away, and the scene began to distort.

The sky around me turned to gray; a set of ominous clouds surrounded me. I took a fighting stance, ready to blast through the darkness approaching, but I suddenly felt a weight pull on my wrists. I tried to pull away, but once again my efforts were in vain. I heard a chilling clasp and felt the unrelenting weight pull me down to the ground. I fell into some kind of tunnel, a light not far away. I couldn't stand, the chains were too short…but I could move. I had no choice but to crawl to the light. I never expected to see what I did when I finally reached it.

I was temporarily blinded by a brilliant white light, but as it faded I was in awe at what I saw. Every memory I ever had was here in front of me and not only the memories, but the thoughts I had had in the past as well. What was this place? Some sort of memory library? The first memories I saw were me with my mother, seeing her smiling face while she held me. I felt the weight of the bonds grow weaker when I felt the happiness of the memory.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY WOMAN!" That was my father's voice. The scene suddenly changed and I saw my mother standing in my father's way, holding me.

"NO! YOU ARE NOT GOING OFF INTO SPACE TO TRAIN!" My mother is screaming at him, tears in her eyes.

"As if you could stop me." He says coldly

"DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR SON?!" I'm currently crying in her arms, not liking the yelling.

"OF COURSE I DON'T! ALL I CARE ABOUT IS SURPASSING KAKAROT! I NEVER EVEN WANTED THIS BLASTED CHILD!" My eyes widen significantly upon hearing this. I was shocked by his words. I knew my father wasn't exactly loving, but this…this was too much. My mother was speechless as he walked past her. The last thing heard was the space ship taking off and my mother held me closely trying to calm my cries.

My father didn't want me. Does he still feel that way? The chains tighten around me. I start remembering all the times when my father had abandoned me. He had always thought I was weak. Was I?

"Unwanted…." The whispers are starting.

"Weak!" The venom in their voices drip into my mind.

"You are weak and pathetic! You insignificant brat!" Another memory of my father. It began to flash across my vision. It was a day that I had tried to train with my father in the gravity chamber. I wasn't able to handle the gravity and this was what he had told me.

"You'll never be a true Saiyan warrior!" He barked at me.

"Dad, I'm trying." The young me says, struggling to get up against the pull of gravity.

"Not hard enough." He says. "Damned half-breed…." He says under his breath.

The younger me begins to cry upon hearing this. It flashes to the world tournament, when I was older. I had faced Goten and I had won! I ran to my dad expecting him to be proud of me. Proud that he had trained me for this day.

"I did it dad!" I yell. My mother was beaming and gloating to Chi-Chi.

"You took too long to defeat him. There should have been no wondering on who would win. You failed." He coldly said to me and walked away.

My mother came over and praised me. She told me that he was proud, but he was hard at showing it and just wanted me to be stronger. My shoulders were slumped, but I nodded slightly. They argued later that night. I heard them from my room.

"WOULD IT KILL YOU TO PRAISE YOUR SON FOR ONCE?!"

"He did not meet my expectations in that tournament. He isn't strong; he'll never be a true Saiyan warrior. He's too kind! He is timid and sweet! How can I call him my son?!" My father retorted.

"SO BECAUSE HE ISN'T A MONSTER LIKE YOU HE CAN'T BE CALLED YOUR SON?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME VEGETA?!" My mother was livid.

"Call it what you wish woman. What you call a monster, I call a warrior. A true warrior, molded by war and hardship. He will never be a true warrior. He will be weak forever."

I cried again. I tried to block out the voices, but I couldn't. I never could. It was that day that I had decided to be colder to everyone, to not show any emotions, and try to be more like my father. My whole life, I had tried to live up to his expectations, but it seemed I could never meet them. Did he still see me as a failure? Was I not good enough to carry on his legacy?

"Failure…." Those damned voices again. Their whispers were getting louder. Were they right? Was I nothing but a failure to him? And what did my mother think? She had always defended me against him and it was because I grew closer to her that I am the way I am now. I never believed that my father saw me as such a horrible son.

I felt as though there was a giant spotlight on me, revealing all of my insecurity and draining every bit of my confidence in who I was and in my life. The more I thought about it, the more I saw how much he hated me. He took such interest in Bulla, supported her even. No matter how ridiculous her request, he did it for her. He even took her opinion seriously, more seriously than he took my mother's. Why did he have such respect for her and not me? Was I really worthless to him? Was I worthless to everyone around me? Did no one care? No! That-that couldn't be true! It just couldn't!

"AHHH!" I screamed. These thoughts were driving me crazy! I heard evil laughter in the darkness around me. I tried to move and found it even harder to crawl. I needed to get out of this place! I felt so weak against these chains. It was as if they were draining every last bit of my energy.

"Are you sure that you can handle this Trunks?" Was that my mom? I crawled towards the voice and again I felt trapped, unable to move away from the scene unfolding.

It wasn't too long before we left to New Vegeta. I was doing some paperwork to help her with Capsule Corp. since she had been swamped with it.

"Yea, I can do it mom." I had said cheerfully.

"Okay, but let me know if you don't understand anything in there." She didn't think I would know it. I could hear her thoughts.

"I'm not sure he can handle this. What if he doesn't understand it? How will he run Capsule Corp.?" Was that why she was so stressed at that time? She didn't think I would understand what was in those papers or how to run Capsule Corp.? She was the one that taught me though. Did she have that little faith in me? Why her…why mom?

"Not smart enough…."

"Not good enough!"

"Not these voices again." I say aloud. Why do they have to remind me that I'm worthless?

"Unwanted!"

"Weak!"

I wanted to cover my ears so badly to shut out these voices, but what could I do when I was chained to the floor and losing my ability to move with every memory? It was then that I heard the explosion. I turned my head and saw one of my worst memories. The scene quickly filled the entire space surrounding me.

My father when he was controlled by Babidi. He had left us, killed himself in an attempt to destroy Majin Buu. I had learned of it at Kame's Lookout along with my mother. She was broken while I had tried to hide it all. I had failed. I couldn't help the overflowing tears. I nearly lost everything when Majin Buu attacked. I didn't even know if my father would ever be wished back because he wasn't considered "good" by most.

"I was too weak to help him. I couldn't do anything to save him…just like I couldn't save…." I was trembling, staring down at my chained hands wide-eyed.

"Zaiya…I couldn't save her." Another person I cared for that I couldn't help.

"WEAK!"

"I was too weak to help her…if I was stronger I could've sensed him and his attack."

"NOT SMART ENOUGH!" I felt the words pulsing around my body, my heart rate increasing.

"If I was smart, I would never have let my guard down…."

"UNWANTED!"

"Did anyone even want me?! Do they hope I get stuck in this cave forever? Will Zaiya even want me if we revive her? Why would she want someone so weak and stupid?!" I hear myself screaming.

"SCARED!" I was scared…I was so scared.

"How much more can I lose…? I don't want to lose anyone else!" I felt the familiar sensation of tears running down my face. "I don't want to lose anyone else…I can't lose her." I whisper. The bonds tighten and pull me hard to the floor. I can't move anymore. I'm too weak to move. What was the point? No one wants me. No one ever did. More tears are flowing down my face; strangled sobs are escaping my throat as the memories play over and over, reminding me that I am nothing. I close my eyes in an attempt to escape them. They seem to stop, I can't hear them anymore.

"You will lose her…." That voice again. Why must they torture me?

I suddenly hear her laughter. I open my eyes and see someone in the distance. The person is coming closer, it's not alone either. When they get close enough for me to see, I realize that one of them is Zaiya and the other is…. My eyes widen at who is making her laugh. A small gasp escapes me as I see Vero.

"Vero, you're so funny!" She let out a small laugh.

"That's because I love hearing your laugh." He replied smoothly. I scowled.

"Well aren't you so sweet!" She smiled at him.

"You will lose her…." That voice again. My eyes search for its source, but settle back on the two in front of me.

"I'm so glad that you are mine." He says pulling her closer. She willingly went into his embrace.

"He's been in love with her since he met her…." Lizarra's words echoed in my mind. My own doubts followed. Could she really love him?

"Why wouldn't I be?" She put her arms around his neck.

"The Saiyan worried me a bit. I thought I would lose you to him. He was technically a prince."

"A pathetic excuse for a prince if you ask me. He was weak. Not to mention he wasn't even that attractive. I could never want someone like him. He didn't know what he wanted, unlike you." I feel more tears stinging my eyes. Did Zaiya really think that? Was I nothing to her? Vero smirks.

"Will I get what I want?" He asks her coyly.

"Of course you will. I love you Vero." Her eyes were shining so brightly, the way they once looked at me. She kissed him.

Her last four words echoed in my mind. She loved him. She didn't want me. She never would. Why would she.

"You have lost her." I want her back.

"You are weak!" I want to be strong.

"You aren't good enough!" I wish I was.

"You are unwanted!" Why?

"You aren't smart!" I thought I was.

"You are a failure!" I don't want to be.

The scenes play around me, mocking me. Zaiya's laugh is one of the most painful. I don't want to lose her…I need her. I want her in my arms again so badly. If I have her, no one else matters. I can't lose her to him…I won't lose her to him. I made it this far, I couldn't let her down. I hear her laugh again, but more inviting, more familiar. When I open my eyes, I see the two of us on the balcony overlooking Averia. She is laughing because of me. She blushed because of what I told her. I made her smile.

"And he is right; he has a better chance than anyone in this room or on this planet for that matter. After all, he made me laugh." She smiled at me, the shine in her eyes showing the truth of her words. She had wanted me. I had a chance.

"But you have lost it." No! Not yet!

"You are still weak!" She makes me strong!

"You will never be good enough!" But I'll keep trying!

"She'll never want you!" She called out to me!

"You couldn't save her!" I won't make the same mistake twice.

"You will fail!" I will succeed!

I turned Super Saiyan and jumped up, letting out a growl and ripping free of my chains. The pieces made clanging noises as they hit the floor. I grabbed my sword and began to slice away the horrible memories and thoughts. I gathered energy into me hands, preparing to blast through this realm and escape it.

"FINISH BUSTER!" I yell tossing the ball and watching it explode, vaporizing the pieces of memory and creating an opening in the blackness surrounding me.

I changed back and flew towards the light. As I flew through I saw Vero, trying to take Zaiya. She was pushing away from him. I charged at him, shouldering his side when I reached him. I stood in front of Zaiya, ready to fight for her heart, be it in a dream realm or not. Vero looked genuinely surprised that I was standing in front of him.

"How?! I killed you!" He yelled. Now it was my turn to be surprised. He looked down to the ground and sure enough, I was there, and I was dead.

"My blast must have allowed me to go into this realm…but how is that possible…?" I wonder aloud.

"I don't care how the fuck it's possible! I killed you once and I will do it again to have her! She is mine!" He was seething with anger and I could sense his power level rising.

"She'll never be yours!" I guess those voices taught me one thing.

He charged me, his speed catching me off guard as he punched my stomach and kicked me to the side. I quickly recovered and threw a Ki blast at him, effectively keeping him away from Zaiya. He growled in frustration and threw a charged blast towards me. I was able to dodge and the blast caused a hole to form in the realm.

"Vero! We can't fight here! We don't know what could happen!" I tried to reason.

"What part of I don't care do you not understand?!" he said shooting another blast. Another hole opened up when I dodged.

If he wouldn't listen I would have to keep this at a closed distance. I flew towards him, dodging his attacks, hearing them rip open more holes. I moved to punch him and he put up a shield, blocking me from hitting him. I could see the hatred in his eyes at this moment. It made me wonder if he would stop before one of us was dead. I flipped away from him as his shield came down, dodging a punch from him.

He charged me yet again and this time I caught his fist and kneed him in his stomach, knocking the air out of him. I used my other leg to kick him and put a small amount of distance between us. Vero caught himself as he hit the floor, flipping himself into a crouched position, smirking up at me. I glared at him; I wanted to wipe the smug look off of his face. I flew towards him at a high speed; he made no move to dodge my attack. As I got closer, he began to glow, a dark purple aura surrounded him and he was levitating a bit. As I was about to hit him, he froze everything and I felt myself being bound again, but this time by his magic. He powered a blast in his hands as time began moving again. I felt the pain of the wound the second the blast touched me. I could feel my flesh burning away because of it. I flew back and landed hard on the ground. There was a gash on my stomach; the blood was dripping from the wound. The pain was a searing and burning pain. I wondered how this affected me in the real world.

"Trunks!" Zaiya yelled as she flew over to me and helped me sit up. She gasped upon seeing the wound, tears forming in her eyes.

IN THE CAVE (Normal P.O.V)

"Trunks and Vero are still trapped in their realms. Shouldn't they have beaten them already?" Zaraiya asked worriedly.

"Some don't make it out of this realm. It is a difficult task. However, I expected at least one of them would conquer this trial." Zero replied.

Trunks' body suddenly fell to the ground on his knees, his arm holding his stomach. Blood was staining his clothes.

"ZERO! WHAT'S GOING ON?!" Lizarra yelled running towards Trunks, Zaraiya and Tonak not far behind.

"Do not touch him! I am not sure what is going on. This has never happened before." The normally calm beast now seemed quite worried.

"He needs to be healed Zero!" Zaraiya yelled.

"You cannot heal him while he is still in the trial. The ancients forbid it."

"Vero has some bruises too, Zero!" Liz said calling from where Vero was standing.

"What is going on Zero?" Tonak demanded.

Zero's eyes began to glow as a screen appeared before the others showing the realm that Trunks and Vero were currently in.

"This is not good. They have entered each other's realms. I believe Trunks' blast ripped a hole in the realms allowing him to go into Vero's realm."

"Wouldn't that be impossible? The ancients wouldn't allow something like that would they?" Zaraiya was becoming frantic.

"Unfortunately, I believe the ancients are the ones that allowed it. There are no accidents in these trials. They are both fighting for her. They will fight to the death to win her heart." Zero explained.

"But they must have realized what was going on by now. There are holes everywhere!" Liz exclaimed.

"It would seem that Trunks did and tried to reason with Vero, but he did not care and kept attacking Trunks."

"What can we do?" Tonak asked, holding Zaraiya.

"Nothing, but wait and watch." Zero looked up to the screen as did the others.

REALM WORLD (Trunks' P.O.V)

Zaiya put her hand over the wound and began to heal it; apparently inheriting her mother's healing abilities. I saw Vero's face begin to contort in anger, rage, and jealousy as he watched her. His fists were clenched tightly. I felt Zaiya's warm healing magic wash over me as the wound began to close and heal.

"You bastard! Why! Why does she care for you so much?! Why won't she love me?!" Vero yelled as he powered up to the extreme.

"Vero stop! Please! No more fighting!" Zaiya yelled at him as she finished healing me.

"If the only way I can get you is by killing him, so be it." He said icily. He shot a full powered ultimate at us. I quickly turned into a Super Saiyan and, grabbing Zaiya, flew high into the air. I was able to dodge the attack just in time. However, I was unable to stop it from tearing the walls of the realm.

Everything began to contort. Through the tears I could see my realm; they were beginning to merge together. The clouds in Vero's realm began turning an ominous gray, coming together to swallow the sky. Thunder roared from the heavens and the world seemed to freeze. The grass below turned old and brown, darkness was surrounding us, swallowing out everything else. Zaiya stood behind me; she looked terrified. I looked over to Vero and the Zaiya from my realm suddenly appeared by Vero. He was a bit surprised, but he seemed to understand all too quickly.

"So I'm one of your biggest fears, huh?" He began laughing manically. I growled in frustration.

"I'm not scared of you." I growl out, not wanting to hold back anymore. I unsheathe my sword and hold it in front of me, both hands placed on the hilt.

"Humph, then why am I part of your realm?" He asks while creating a sword out of magic.

"Because I'm scared of losing Zaiya." I admit glaring at him, my eyes cold and icy.

"You will lose her! I'll make sure of it!" He yells as he begins flying towards me.

I met him halfway and our blades clashed together creating a shockwave of energy. Lightning crashed behind us and rain began to pour down on us as we pushed away from each other. All of our hatred for each other was shown through our eyes. He wasn't holding back and neither was I. I powered up, shooting my Ki through my sword. I would not let him win. We charged again, he slashed at my midsection with his sword; I dodged it using a spin and slashed his back.

"AH!" He yelled feeling the bite of my blade. I merely smirked at his enraged expression.

We charged again, our blades creating shockwaves as we blocked each other's attacks. I grabbed my swords hilt with both hands and swung in a diagonal arc towards him. Vero took control of the spin dodge I used earlier and slashed my arm. I felt the pain, but only grunted in response to it. I would not cry out from a fake blade.

Zaiya gasped as a cut appeared and deepened, the blood soaking my jacket. I stole a glance towards her and saw that she was soaked; she wore a worried and fearful expression. When I looked at the version of Zaiya that was from my realm, I saw that she had a smirk on her face, enjoying the battle. She looked as though she wanted to be a part of it. A thought occurred to me at that moment, a sudden memory surfacing. I didn't have time to think on it as Vero advanced his attacks. I was able to block some of his attacks and land a few of my own. The battle seemed endless. I could feel myself breathing heavier, the wounds were beginning to take a toll as well; my strength was slowly decreasing. The storm around us was only getting worse, strong winds were blowing. My clothes were wet and heavy, they were torn in some areas, and my hair was plastered to my head. Vero looked no better. I could see his chest rising and falling rapidly. I knew he wouldn't give up though, not until one of us could stand no longer. We flew at each other again, clashing one final time, the blast sending our swords as well as our bodies flying in different directions. I caught myself and saw that Vero was already upright and focusing his power into an attack. I began to do the same. We released our attacks at the same time and they hit in the middle. Shockwave after shockwave was sent out around the beams. Neither of us wanted to give in. He pushed more power into his attack; I was forced to do the same. He couldn't handle the extra power and my beam continued pushing his. I saw him smirk as he suddenly froze everything again, moving out of the way and revealing Zaiya behind him. My eyes widened, there was nothing I could do. He allowed time to move again and I tried to weaken the blast the best that I could, but I couldn't stop it. It pierced straight through her chest. Her eyes went wide and she began to fall.

"ZAIYA!" I screamed flying to her and catching her as I did on that night not too long ago.

She opened her eyes and looked up at me, her breathing becoming ragged. "Tr…unks…." She was barely able to say it. My mind flashed to the day she died. I didn't try holding back my tears this time.

"No…." I whisper, holding her close.

"Hahaha, I told you that you would lose her!" Vero seemed proud of himself, not realizing that he had lost as well.

"You bastard…how could you do this?!" My voice comes out strangled and weak.

"How could I? Simple, she was the one that loved you; I still have the Zaiya that is mine. She will always be mine." He laughed more.

"You're an idiot." I say looking towards "his" Zaiya. He followed my gaze and his eyes widened at the sight before him.

"If you really loved her, you would have realized that they were two different sides of her, but ultimately the same. Therefore, if one died…so did the other." I say, my voice detached.

"No…NOOO!" Vero screams as he grabs the other Zaiya. I could only imagine what is going through his mind.

The realm around us begins to distort again, separating, and bringing us back to our own forms of hell. The scene around me turns to I look down at Zaiya in my arms; I can barely see her chest rise now. I float down to the floor, clutching Zaiya's body. My hair returns to its normal color as I am defeated by grief and exhaustion.

"I failed…I couldn't save you." It's a struggle to get the words out. "I'm so sorry Zaiya. I'm sorry I wasn't enough." I wonder if I will ever run out of tears to shed. I rock back and forth slightly as everything begins to get cold; the only sounds are my cries. The darkness around me is slowly turning white. It's getting colder. There are tall dark trees, stained with white, creating a small circle around me. The sky is a light gray.

"Coldest light." A light voice echoes throughout the small forest. The light feels cold. I want nothing more than to freeze here holding her close to me. I keep whispering that I am sorry. It was my fault that she had died here. No…that wasn't true. My blast was the final blow, but the fighting is what really killed her. I could see a piece of her die with every blow of our swords.

"Oh Zaiya…I'm so sorry."

"She breaks the silence as winter falls." That voice again. As winter falls?

It was then that I realized that the white around me was snow. That's why it was cold. I saw snowflakes begin to hit the floor and I looked up to see that more were falling from the sky. I looked at Zaiya again, her eyes were closed and she wore a peaceful expression. She was gone and I could do nothing. Perhaps there was never anything I could do, but I tried…I tried so hard to save her. My tears had stopped now. Maybe this would be my final resting place as well….

"Trunks…." I look up to see who the voice belongs to.

"Zaiya…?" I whisper. My eyes were puffy from crying so much, I wonder if I am seeing things.

"Oh, Trunks." There are tears in her eyes as she comes closer to me. I look down and see nothing in my hands but snow. Zaiya kneeled in front of me and pulled me into a hug, I could hear her crying.

"Are you…?" I dared to hope.

"It's really me Trunks. I'm real." I hugged her so tightly and she in turn hugged me tighter as well. I buried my head in the crook of her neck inhaling her true scent. The snow fell slowly around us, landing in our hair.

"Zaiya…I'm so sorry…I couldn't…."

"Shhh. It's okay Trunks. It's not your fault. Please, stop blaming yourself." She whispers soothingly, stroking my hair. Her touch is unlike anything I have ever felt. It doesn't feel like the illusion of her did.

"But…if I was…." She cut me off again.

"Do not believe what you have seen in this world. It isn't true." She sighed. "I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this."

"I would do it all again and more for you." I feel her smile a bit and I find myself able to smile as well. "How is the real you here?"

"My spirit resides in this cave, trapped. Honestly, I didn't think I would be able to come to you. Spirits in this cave are usually bound to the falls, but I fought so hard to get to you here."

"The cave?" I don't remember it.

"Yes, Trunks. The cave leading to Celestial Falls. This realm isn't real. It is one of the trials, one of madness and fear. You have to break out of its hold."

"I don't know if I'm strong enough." I can't help my insecurity.

"I know you are." She pulled away from me and I can see her spirit fading.

"I can't stay here any longer. The falls are calling me back." Zaiya looks pained and sad.

"Zaiya! No, please! Don't leave me!" I call and reach out to her, but my hand goes through her body.

"Stay strong Trunks. I need you. Please come find me soon. Only you can save me." She smiled at me as she faded away. Again I felt hollow, as if a part of me had been ripped out. Was I truly the only one that could save her? It didn't matter. She needed me and I would not let her down again. I stood up feeling stronger than I had in a long time.

"I will save you Zaiya. Nothing will stop me." I say clenching my fist.

I looked up to the sky and saw the clouds parting a bit. That was my exit out of this realm. I had finally conquered it.

Well that ends chapter 8! Wow, I have to say I am proud of this chapter. Anyone wondering what happened to Vero? I hope you all enjoyed the chapter as much as I did. I'll try to get Chapter 9 up soon!


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